A Journey to Peace on the Toy Train

I travelled to Shimla when I was young, and I still remember every detail of that journey. We boarded the famous toy train, and from the very first whistle, I felt like I was stepping into a dream. The train moved slowly, almost lazily, as if it wanted us to enjoy every single sight. Through the window, the hills looked endless, covered with green trees, and now and then, the train would pass through tunnels where everyone shouted and laughed. 

As the train curved around the valley, the sky began to change its colors. It was late evening, and the whole horizon was painted in shades of orange and purple. The air became cooler, and I leaned my head against the window, away from the noise of the compartment, away from everything that usually pulls me in a hundred directions.

For some time, I just sat still, watching. The rustling of the trees, the whistle of the engine, and even the sound of my own heartbeat blended. It felt like the world had slowed down only for me. My endless thoughts and worries disappeared in that moment. 

At one point, when the wind touched my face, I imagined snow falling from the sky. And suddenly, a funny thought came into my mind. I said to myself, whenever it snows, maybe Elsa from the movie ‘Frozen’ is hiding somewhere nearby. The idea was silly, but I couldn’t stop smiling. 

Soon after, the train passed by a waterfall that looked silver in the fading sunlight, and then, like a surprise gift, a rainbow appeared in the distance. For a moment, I felt as if the mountains, the rainbow, and even the silence were sharing a secret with me.

In that moment, I experienced something new. It was not happiness, not sadness. It was peace. Pure, simple peace, like time had stopped and I had become part of something eternal. 

I don’t know how long I was lost in that feeling, minutes, hours, maybe less. But when the train finally reached Shimla, I carried something within me. I realised that peace does not come from chasing everything. Sometimes, it waits quietly in a toy train journey, in the silence of mountains, in a silly thought about Elsa, and it only asks us to notice.

That evening on the toy train may have ended, but the eternity I touched in those few moments will stay with me forever.  

By: Lavanya

Class IX

Apeejay School, Rama Mandi, Jalandhar